DESCRIPTION:

This course examines what Christians believe about the identity of Jesus Christ, his redemptive death, and the fundamental questions of justification, sanctification, election, grace, and the life of faith.

The course provides opportunity to think through fundamental issues of faith as a basis for Christian living and ministry. The assignments enable students to develop their own theology in a form which may serve as a basis for their future teaching.

Lectures and discussion. The class will meet four hours daily for two weeks.

There are no set texts. Students are encouraged to draw on a wide variety of material, including the following:

Brown, C. That You May Believe: Miracles and Faith--Then and Now. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985; reprint, Pasadena: Archive Bookstore, 1996.

________. Jesus in European Protestant Thought, 1778-1860. Paperback reprint Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988.

________. "Person of Christ," in G. W. Bromiley, ed. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia 3 (1986): 781-801.

________. "Trinity and Incarnation: In Search of Contemporary Orthodoxy," Ex Auditu 7 (1991): 83-100.

________. "Historical Jesus, Quest of," in Joel B. Green, Scott McKnight, I. Howard Marshall, eds. Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1992, pp. 326-341.

________, ed. The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology. 4 vols. Revised edition. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986.

________. "Christology and the Quest of the Historical Jesus." in D. Lewis and A. McGrath, eds., Doing Theology for the People of God. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1996, 67-86.

Carroll, J. T. and J. B. Green et al. The Death of Jesus in Early Christianity. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1995.

Charlesworth, J. H., ed. Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls. New York: Doubleday, 1993.

Charlesworth, J. H. and W. P. Weaver, eds. Images of Jesus Today. Valley Forge, PA: TPI, 1994

Chilton, B. and C. A. Evans, eds. Studying the Historical Jesus. Leidon: E. J. Brill, 1994.

Cowdell, C. Is Jesus Unique? New York: Paulist Press, 1996.

Dunn, J. D. G. Christology in the Making. 2nd ed. Eerdmans, 1996.

Ferguson, S. B and Wright, D. F., eds. New Dictionary of Theology. Downers Grove: IVP, 1988.

Meier, J. P. A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus. 2 vols. New York: Doubleday, 1991, '94.

Montague, G. T. The Holy Spirit: Growth of a Biblical Tradition. New York: Paulist Press, 1976.

Schaff, P. The Creeds of Christendom, 3 vols., 1877. Reprint. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983.

Witherington, B. The Jesus Quest: The Third Search for the Jew of Nazareth. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1995.

A written paper (deadline August 7) and submission of notes, with critical responses (deadline July 24). Students completing their Systematic Theology courses may choose to write a Credo in lieu of these assignments.